By: Richard L. Smith
In a time when students are often told to limit socializing and to focus on academics, 17-year-old Favour Onwuzurike is rewriting that narrative—with distinction.
Next month, Favour will proudly take the stage as Irvington High School’s salutatorian, earning the prestigious title not in spite of her love for socializing, but because of it. 
I sat down with Favour inside the Clinton Avenue main high school campus for a fantastic 45-minute conversation and learned of perseverance through socializing. Her story is one of courage, transformation, and the power of connection.
Born in Nigeria, Favour arrived in the U.S. in 2016 at the age of 8. The transition was anything but easy. 
Favour told me she spoke only Igbo and was placed in an ESL program while adjusting to a new culture, a new climate (she still remembers seeing snow for the first time), and a school system that felt like an entirely different world.
Irvington Township Superintendent Dr. April Vauss praised Favour Onwuzurike’s outstanding accomplishments, highlighting her as a shining example of the district’s mission: to inspire and instruct all students to think critically, creatively, and responsibly.
“I was scared. Everything felt foreign. I even failed English and math in the beginning,” Favour admitted. “But I stayed open.”
A few misunderstandings and stereotypes marked her early experience. Curious classmates asked if she lived in a hut during her childhood in Nigeria. 
“I felt out of place when I first got here”, Favour said. But instead of retreating inward, she made a bold choice—she forced herself into groups, determined to engage with her peers.
That decision changed everything.
By sixth grade, after three years in the U.S., Favour told me she found herself growing in confidence and language skills. More than that, she discovered something unexpected: socializing wasn’t holding her back but lifting her up. 
“I found a spark in me,” she said. “Being around others motivated me to do better in school.”
Her love for learning new things and people grew alongside her growing social circle. From middle school through high school, Favour immersed herself in extracurriculars—spring track, band, dance, JROTC, and even managing the boys’ basketball and girls’ flag football teams. 
She loved school so much, she said, “I didn’t want to go home.”
She was on the team that led Irvington to the Essex County Conference championship in track her sophomore year. However, by her senior year, she made the difficult choice to put her athletic pursuits on hold to fully focus on her academics—a decision that ultimately paid off.
As she reflects on her time at Irvington High, Favour shares advice for the next generation of students walking the halls behind her:
“Don’t just go home after school. Find something to do—join a club, a sport, anything. You’ll regret not participating when senior year comes. I’ve seen kids who wish they had joined in but were too scared. Don’t be one of those kids.” -Favour Onwuzurike
Favour’s dedication earned her a full scholarship to Kean University, where she plans to major in nursing. She was inspired by her mother, who worked as a labor and delivery nurse in Nigeria.
“She always helped people, and she helped me when I had leg issues. She nursed me back to health,” Favour explained with admiration during our conversation.
Throughout her high school journey, she was also a student trustee on the Board of Education and found family-like bonds with mentors like Sergeant Craig of the JROTC program and Mr. Miller, whose kindness helped her connect with peers she might not have otherwise met.
With an open heart and a determined spirit, Favour Onwuzurike turned fear into fuel and friendships into her foundation. She leaves behind not just a legacy of academic excellence, but a message: connection can be your greatest strength. 
Favour’s ready for what’s next—and she’s bringing that same energy to Kean University.
“Socializing is what helped me shine,” she said. “And I’m not done yet.”